Communication devices such as for example, cellular phones and mobile radiophones typically have mechanical or contact switches for a keypad to dial a phone number or as function keys to access features or other capabilities of the communication device. Additionally, such devices typically have a carbon or electret microphone and a miniature voice coil or piezoelectric or other such type speaker to convert audio signals to electrical signals or to convert electrical signals to audio, respectively. Likewise, separate switches such as roller switches or directional switches are typically provided to scroll a menu or selection functions, i.e. phone number lists, volume increase/decrease, ringing tones, and the like, presented on a display screen of the communication device. Although touch screen technology can function as a user-interface by allowing a user to “touch” an area of the screen to choose a desired one of a number of preprogrammed possible selections, such technology is limited to display screens only.
It would be desirable therefore to provide a communication device having “touch” sensitive surfaces that function as a sensor, microphone or speaker to replace the various discrete individual components performing the corresponding functions in current communication devices and to enhance the operation of the device.